Arctic Winter Games

2018 Arctic Winter Games

Team Alberta North has begun preparations for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. The 2018 Arctic Winter Games will be held in Hay River and Fort Smith, Northwest Territories March 17 – 24, 2018.

239 athletes, coaches and mission staff from 36 Alberta communities north of the 55th parallel will represent Team Alberta North at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games, participating in 16 different sports and culture.

2018 Arctic Winter Games Host

About the Arctic Winter Games

The Arctic Winter Games is an international sport festival bringing together athletes from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Alaska, Greenland, Russia, Nunavik, Northern Alberta and the indigenous people (Sapmi) of Norway and Finland.

The concept of the Arctic Winter Games was developed as a direct result of the experiences of Northern athletes at the 1967 Canada Winter Games.

Representatives of the Yukon and Northwest Territories realized that their teams were at disadvantage due to relatively small athletic pools, lack of facilities and infrequent training opportunities. Therefore, the concept of an event specifically designed for northern athletes was born.

The first games were staged in 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and have taken place every two years since, alternating among participating jurisdictions.

Team Alberta North joined the Arctic Winter Games in 1986, and we hosted for the first time 1994 in Slave Lake, and have since host in 2004 (Wood Buffalo) and in 2010 (Grande Prairie).